Bristol Harbor Group Digs into the Intricacies of Articulated Tug Barge Design

U.S.-based naval architecture firm Bristol Harbor Group, Inc. (BHGI) has announced this week their engineers are currently completing the detail design phase of a double hull oil tank barge and twin screw ocean service tug for Gretna, Louisiana-based vessel owner/operator John W. Stone Oil Distributor.

BHGI says computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was used extensively in the design of these two vessels to model and optimize the calm water resistance around the ATB/barge interface taking into account the stern rake geometry of the barge and the forward hull form of the tug.  In addition, the company says finite element analysis (FEA) was used in the design effort to assess the stern scantlings structure of the barge at the INTERCON ladder interface – the box where the ATB and barge rigidly pinned together.

John W. Stone Oil owns 16 inland tugboats, 46 inland barges, an offshore DP2 product tanker, and a 35,000 barrel multi-purpose offshore barge and tug that wholly service its facilities and customers along the U.S. Gulf Coast and lower Mississippi River valley.

BHGI says both vessels will be ABS-classed and are under construction at Conrad Shipyard in Amelia, Louisiana with delivery dates in 2015 and 2016.

Vessel Particulars:

Gulf Carrier ATB Double Hull Oil Barge:

• Dimensions: 399’x 74’x 30’
• Capacity: 80,000 BBL
• Bow Thruster: (1) Thrustmaster retractable azimuthing thruster, 750HP
• Main Generators: (2) John Deere 99kW
• Classification: ABS ?A1, Unlimited Oceans, Permissively Manned
• 399’ x 74’ x 30’ 80,000 barrel double hull oil tank barge and a 120’ x 40’ x 18’- 6”

Gulf Venture ATB Tug:

• Dimensions: 120’x 40’x 18.5’
• ATB Coupler System: INTERCON C Series
• Main Engines: (2) CAT 3516C, 2,575 HP each
• Main Generators: (3) John Deere 150kW
• Classification: ABS ?A1, ?AMS, ABCU, Oceans Towing Vessel
• Unlimited Service certified under SOLAS/IMO/MARPOL

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